Catechism

Our class is for anyone who would like to learn more about Orthodoxy whether they are already Orthodox, a catechumen or just inquiring.

The Orthodox Christian Church is the church of 33 A.D., perhaps even 1 A.D. It is, as its Creed states, "One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic" which establishes its nature and its continued existence by faithfully maintaining an unbroken tradition from Jesus Christ and the Apostles through two millennia up to today. It is the Church that one may see being born in the pages of the New Testament, in the words of the Lord, Himself. In the culture in which we find ourselves, many Americans have no idea what it is, much less, its theology, its form of worship, or its authenticity. Far likelier is the association of the Church with ethnic identities like "Russian Orthodox" or "Greek Orthodox" or "Antiochian" or several other cultures. Though misleading, it is understandable because America became the final destination for immigrants who brought their Orthodoxy with them and planted it in the new world. But they are all just Orthodox.

So how does a person in today's America understand this claim of origin and continuity? The answer lies in history, a history that has a definite start and an unbroken existence to the present day. This is the heart of the apostolic succession. It was handed down from the beginning, is preserved faithfully and jealously in the face of heresies, schisms, war, and other catastrophes.

Thus, it is One. Not fragmented, denominational, plagued by ever mutating doctrines and dogmas.

Thus, it is Holy. Its Founder and Lord is Jesus Christ, and its sure Guide is the Holy Spirit. Holiness is in its veins.

Thus, it is Catholic, a Greek word that implies possessing unity, inclusivity, and continuity across time and space. It implies that it is whole, complete, lacking nothing.

Thus, it is Apostolic, for the Lord's apostles and disciples transmitted faithfully the Master's words and teaching. They avoided all personal interpretations and settled any questions in a conciliar fashion, a tradition that is still at the foundation of the Orthodox Church today. It gave us the canon of Scripture, the canons of the Seven Ecumenical Councils, and the writings of the early Church Fathers, many of whom suffered persecution and martyrdom.

Orthodoxy literally means "true worship" or "true belief" or "true glorification". This true worship is the heart of an Orthodox Christian's life. It is more than a meeting or collective bible study, more than emotional outpourings surrounding personalities, or memorials of a past event. This is what we call the Divine Liturgy. To enter into it is to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, to become partakers of the Divine. To not only hear the Word, but to pray it, to pray for all creation, to pray for mercy in the face of our many failings. We proclaim our statement of faith aloud as a body in the Nicene Creed. The summit of the Divine Liturgy is to partake of the Lord's supper, not as memorial, but as reality, it is His Body and Blood. So it has been for two thousand years and so it will continue, in the face of enemies, whether external and internal, despite our own failings.

Finally, the Orthodox Church is the church of the martyrs. No church has suffered bloody persecutions as she has. The twentieth century surpassed the worst done by the Roman Empire. She still stands unbowed, faithful unto the end.

Come and see why so many are now coming to the Orthodox Church, growing daily in the Americas. If you have experienced frustration with doctrinal, liturgical, and ethical innovations in your churches, take a moment and visit the Church of 33 A.D. It may be the moment you sense the eternal spiritual reality of Orthodoxy and experience what many have said, "I felt like I had come home".